1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to vehicle occupant restraint systems, such as seat belts and shoulder harnesses, and more specifically to devices for adjusting the position and tension of such belts and harnesses, particularly the shoulder harness strap, as they pass across the seated vehicle occupant.
2. Description of Related Art
Increasing safety consciousness, as well as increasing vehicle speeds, have led to the development of various systems for protecting the operator and passengers of such vehicles. While occupant restraint systems were first developed for aircraft, their efficacy in ground vehicles (automobiles, etc.) was later recognized and required in automobiles, light trucks, and other road vehicles.
Restraining straps in some form (e.g., seat belts and shoulder harnesses) have been universally adapted as occupant restraints in ground vehicles, along with other passive protective systems (xe2x80x9cair bags,xe2x80x9d etc.). However, the use of such restraints is far from universal, even though nearly every jurisdiction has enacted laws requiring their use by vehicle occupants.
Perhaps one of the major reasons behind this lack of use, is the discomfort experienced by many vehicle occupants due to the restraint belts and straps crossing their bodies. This factor has been considered in regulations relating to seat belt and shoulder harness installations in vehicles, but it appears impossible to develop a xe2x80x9cone size fits allxe2x80x9d restraint system for such vehicles, due to the wide variation in sizes and shapes of vehicle occupants.
As a result, the National Highway Transportation Safety Board (NHTSB) has adopted a standard requiring restraint systems to be developed around the 50th percentile male body. The greater the difference between the vehicle occupant and this 50th percentile male standard, the less likely the restraints are to fit the occupant comfortably. This is particularly true with women, and particularly smaller women, and the path of the shoulder harness generally diagonally across their chests. The interference of the shoulder harness strap with the breast most nearly adjacent the high attach point of the strap, has been noted for years by many women. While various devices and techniques have been sought over the years to alleviate the problem of poorly fitting belts for both men and women, the problem still exists for many vehicle occupants.
Accordingly, a need will be seen for means for repositioning the conventional occupant restraint belts or straps in a motor vehicle, in order to provide greater occupant comfort. The present invention responds to this need with two related embodiments. In the first embodiment, a clamp is releasibly attachable to the restraint strap (e.g., shoulder harness) and is adjusted to bear against the conventional xe2x80x9cBxe2x80x9d pillar anchor point for such shoulder restraints, thereby preventing the strap from retracting further onto its conventional retraction reel and providing some slack in the strap as desired by the occupant.
The second embodiment comprises an adjustably positionable bar which secures adjustably to the headrest support columns of a vertically adjustable headrest. The bar extends toward the outside wall of the vehicle, and provides a slot through which the shoulder harness strap passes. The two embodiments of the present invention may be used together with one another, or separately as desired. The embodiments of the present invention do not form any permanent part of the vehicle structure, but secure only to a shoulder harness (or seat belt) strap, or to the headrest support columns, as appropriate, and are quickly and easily installed and removed as desired.
A discussion of the related art of which the present inventor is aware, and its differences and distinctions from the present invention, is provided below.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,912,035 issued on Oct. 14, 1975 to Izaak A. Ulert, titled xe2x80x9cBelt Relaxer,xe2x80x9d describes a complex electromechanical system which is permanently installed in the vehicle. The Ulert system requires a sensor in the lap belt and gearing to drive the belt retractor reel in a belt extending direction to provide the desired slack. Ulert also requires sensors in the seat to detect the weight of the occupant therein. In contrast, the present system is not a permanent part of the vehicle, does not require complex electromechanical or other mechanisms, and is easily installed and removed by the vehicle occupants in a few seconds.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,371,192 issued on Feb. 1, 1983 to Maurice A. J. Alix, titled xe2x80x9cTension Stop For Safety Belt Of The Inertia Reel Type,xe2x80x9d describes various embodiments of a device which secures around the belt and locks in place, to prevent undesired retraction of the belt. However, the Alix device operates differently than the present invention, in that the locking means operates in a longitudinal direction, i.e., in the direction of the length of the belt, in one embodiment, and rotationally in the other embodiment. Each embodiment requires two hands for tightening and releasing, in that the longitudinal actuation would merely pull the belt out or jam against the restraint, unless the body of the clamp were held by the other hand, and the rotational actuation would require that the body of the device be held to preclude twisting the belt during actuation. In contrast, the present clamp uses lateral actuation, permitting the device to be gripped and actuated using only a single hand. It is also noted that the belt locking contact portions of the Alix devices contact the belt directly, rather than bearing against a secondary plate which in turn grips the belt, as in the present invention. This direct gripping of the belt by a component which slides or rotates, results in the belt material being urged in the same direction during actuation, thus twisting or shifting the belt out of the desired position when using the Alix device. Moreover, Alix requires that his clamping devices be disassembled for installation to and removal from the belt, with the body and locking portions comprising two separable components. The present invention comprises a clamp with a hinge along one edge and a pressure actuated latch along the other, permitting the device to be secured around the belt or strap using only one hand.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,669,751 issued on Jun. 2, 1987 to Hans Unger, titled xe2x80x9cTension Eliminator For A Vehicle Safety Belt Retractor,xe2x80x9d describes a complex mechanical retraction system which alternately locks the belt in position at a preset point or allows it to retract, with each pull on the belt. The Unger device is a permanently installed component in the vehicle, and is more closely related to the device of the ""035 U.S. patent to Ulert, discussed further above, than to the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,683 issued on Jul. 17, 1990 to Hiroshi Tabata et al., titled xe2x80x9cVehicle Seat Belt Tightening System,xe2x80x9d describes a complex, explosively activated mechanism for tightening a seat belt in the event of a collision. The Tabata et al. device is a permanently installed component in the motor vehicle, and is incorporated with the conventional belt retraction reel of the vehicle. The Tabata et al. device is thus more closely related to the devices of the ""035 U.S. patent to Ulert and ""751 U.S. patent to Unger, both discussed further above, than to the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,876 issued on Dec. 4, 1990 to Gosta P. A. Svensson et al., titled xe2x80x9cSeat Belt Retractor,xe2x80x9d describes various embodiments of a shoulder harness height adjusting device, generally comprising a spool permanently mounted to the xe2x80x9cBxe2x80x9d pillar of a motor vehicle. In some embodiments, a housing covers the spool with a slide installed in a slot in the housing. The shoulder harness passes through the slide, which adjusts upwardly and downwardly in the housing slot to position the height of the strap. The Svensson et al. device cannot be removably secured to the headrest supports of a vehicle occupant seat, as can the shoulder harness position adjuster of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,167 issued on Nov. 3, 1992 to Francois Fourrey et al., titled xe2x80x9cSelf-Locking Strap Guide For A Seat Belt,xe2x80x9d describes a shoulder harness strap guide which is permanently attached to the xe2x80x9cBxe2x80x9d pillar of the automobile. The device includes a lockup feature, to preclude extension of the shoulder strap from the point of the guide in the event of a collision. This allows the conventional retractor to be constructed of lighter materials, as it would not be required to absorb the tension applied to the strap in the event of a collision. However, the Fourrey et al. device functions oppositely to the present invention, acting to lock the strap on extension of the strap, rather than locking the strap in a position to preclude retraction, as in the case of the present invention. Moreover, the Fourrey et al. device is permanently bolted to the xe2x80x9cBxe2x80x9d pillar of the vehicle, rather than merely securing about the shoulder strap, as in the case of the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,099 issued on Apr. 13, 1993 to Terry; A. Campbell, titled xe2x80x9cSeat Belt Adjuster,xe2x80x9d describes a device which clamps to a seat belt and engages another portion of the belt above the buckle where the seat belt and shoulder harness portions of the belt conventionally join. The Campbell device enables the user to secure the device to the lap belt portion in a position as desired, and hook the shoulder harness thereto to adjust the point where the shoulder harness and lap belt join. However, the Campbell device does nothing to relocate the upper end of the shoulder harness strap where it passes the upper portion of the seat back, as is provided by one of the embodiments of the present invention. Moreover, the Campbell device cannot be adjustably repositioned along the length of a belt, once it is secured thereto. Rather, it must be opened and removed from its clamping position on the belt, for relocation. In contrast, the present belt attachment remains on the belt or shoulder strap and is easily slid along the belt or strap for repositioning as desired, without removing the device from the strap.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,476,287 issued on Dec. 19, 1995 to john R. Lichtwardt, titled xe2x80x9cMethod And System For Controlling The Position Of A Seat Belt Relative To An Occupant Of A Vehicle,xe2x80x9d describes an electromechanical device permanently attached to the vehicle structure, unlike the slack retaining embodiment of the present invention. The Lichtwardt device has a pair of opposed fingers which grip the shoulder strap according to commands from an electric motor. In contrast, the present slack adjuster device (1) does not attach to the structure of the vehicle, but grips only the shoulder strap and bears against a shoulder strap guide in the vehicle, in order to provide the desired slack, and (2) is purely mechanical, containing no electrical or other powered means.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,692,806 issued on Dec. 2, 1997 to Marc C. Jones, titled xe2x80x9cSlip-On Seat Belt Tension Clip,xe2x80x9d describes a device somewhat resembling an older, single piece clothespin or the like. The device has a pair of arms defining a central slot, with each arm having one or more mating, longitudinally oriented internal corrugations to provide grip upon the belt. The device is applied laterally to the belt adjacent the guide loop for the belt, and precludes excessive retraction of the belt through the guide loop. However, the Jones device must be removed from the belt each time longitudinal adjustment along the belt is desired, and it also requires two hands for operation (one to hold the belt, and the other to apply the device to the belt). In contrast, the present device may be applied and adjusted along the belt by using one hand, and need not be removed for positional adjustment.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,713,602 issued on Feb. 3, 1998 to Joo-Hun Lee, titled xe2x80x9cSeat Belt For A Vehicle,xe2x80x9d describes a permanently installed system which is integral with the vehicle structure, unlike the devices of the present invention. The Lee device comprises a longitudinally adjustable shoulder strap attachment point located just above the upper rear corner of the front door of the vehicle, to which the shoulder harness may attach. The attachment position may be adjusted forwardly or rearwardly over a limited range, in order to relieve belt pressure on the shoulder of a vehicle occupant as desired. The Lee assembly cannot be removed for transfer from one vehicle to another, as is the case with the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,749,601 issued on May 12, 1998 to Heinz Knoll et al., titled xe2x80x9cBelt Force Limiter For A Vehicle Seat Belt,xe2x80x9d describes a relatively short arm which is permanently attached to the vehicle structure, and which carries the shoulder harness strap at the distal end thereof. The arm is attached to the vehicle structure by an energy absorbing component which may bend to allow the arm to flex forwardly in the event of a collision and large forces being applied to the shoulder strap. The Knoll et al. device differs from the present invention in that (1) it does not capture the shoulder harness to prevent excessive retraction and provide some slack, but rather alters the angle of the strap over the occupant""s shoulder; and (2) the Knoll et al. device must be permanently attached to the vehicle structure, due to its energy absorbing function.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,065,777 issued to David D. Merrick on May 23, 2000, titled xe2x80x9cClamp For Retractor Belt,xe2x80x9d describes a system having a track which is permanently installed in the vehicle along the lower portion of the xe2x80x9cBxe2x80x9d pillar, above the belt retraction reel. A shoulder strap clamp secures around the shoulder strap adjacent to the track, and is adjustably attached to the track. The clamp may be locked in place along the track in order to preclude excessive retraction of the belt or strap onto the shoulder harness reel. The Merrick device cannot be removed from the vehicle, as can the present belt tension adjuster, and moreover provides the slack adjustment at a completely different point along the belt or strap, i.e., just above the retraction reel, rather than just in front of and below the upper retaining anchor, as provided by the present invention.
European Patent Publication No. 022,468 published on Jan. 21, 1981 to Allied Corporation, titled xe2x80x9cContinuous-Loop Seat Belt System With Locking Junction Ring,xe2x80x9d describes a device which secures to the junction of the lap belt and shoulder strap portions of a door mounted belt tensioner system, i.e., xe2x80x9cmoving mousexe2x80x9d belt system. The device allows movement of the door mounted portion of the belt therethrough so long as no significant tension is applied to the belt system, but locks the position of the door mounted belt when tension is applied, e.g., upon sudden deceleration. This device is thus opposite the present positioning devices, which are not activated by decelerative forces and which restrict retraction of the shoulder belt, rather than extension.
European Patent Publication No. 024,812 published on Mar. 11, 1981 to Fuji Kiko Kabushiki Kaisha, titled xe2x80x9cSeat Belt Locking Device For An Automobile Vehicle,xe2x80x9d describes a device defining a sinusoidal path for the belt, with a pair of wedge clamps on each side of a roller. When tension is applied to the belt, as in the event of sudden deceleration or collision, the force on the belt pulls the wedges against the roller, jamming the belt in position to preclude further extension. Grip on the belt is released as soon as tension is released on the belt. The device must be permanently installed in the vehicle in order to be operable, and cannot maintain a preselected belt position to provide a certain amount of slack in the belt, as provided by the present invention.
British Patent Publication No. 2,064,943 published on Jun. 24, 1981 to REPA Feinstanzwerk GmbH, titled xe2x80x9cA Belt Feed Control Device,xe2x80x9d describes a device closely related to other conventional inertia locking reel systems. The device includes a locking mechanism to lock extension of the belt upon sudden deceleration or impact, and is permanently affixed to the structure of the motor vehicle. This is essentially opposite the present system, which does not restrict extension of the belt, but rather restricts retraction to provide some slack in the shoulder belt for the occupant""s comfort. Also, as noted above, the present invention does not permanently attach within the vehicle structure.
PCT Patent Publication No. WO 88/01582 published on Mar. 10, 1988 to Britax-Kolb GMBH and Co., titled xe2x80x9cPivoting Clamp,xe2x80x9d describes (according to the English Abstract) a belt gripping clamp which develops some longitudinal movement during the closure movement against the belt, so as to essentially equalize the velocity of the clamp teeth and belt to reduce strain on the belt. The device must be anchored permanently to the vehicle structure in order to be operable, and serves to restrict extension of the belt. The present invention works in the opposite manner, as a removable belt accessory which restricts belt retraction, rather than extension.
Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-071,453 published on Mar. 31, 1988 to Fujii Akisumi illustrates a seat belt retainer bearing a closer resemblance to the devices of the Campbell ""099 and Jones ""806 U.S. patents, discussed further above, than to the present invention. The device of the ""453 Japanese Patent Publication comprises a gripping member of unitary construction, with opposite sides defining a belt gripping passage therebetween. The open ends of the two sides may be clipped together by cooperating integrally formed clip members, to secure the device around the belt. The clip appears to require two hands for operation, unlike the single handed operation provided by the present invention, at least for opening the device. Moreover, the device of the ""453 Japanese Patent Publication must be opened and removed from the belt and then reattached to the belt in order to adjust its position on the belt, unlike the present invention which may be released from its position on the belt and slid along the belt to a new position
French Patent Publication No. 2,613,990 published on Oct. 21, 1988 to Joseph Garguir describes (according to the English Abstract) two separate components, one of which serves to lock the shoulder strap as desired. The shoulder strap locking mechanism is enclosed in a box which is in turn bolted or otherwise permanently attached to the vehicle structure. The device is manually lockable, but appears to lock the belt immovably in either direction of travel therethrough, thus restricting movement in both the extension and retraction directions, unlike the present invention.
European Patent Publication No. 307,339 published on Mar. 15, 1989 to Jean C. Martin describes (according to the English Abstract) a belt and retainer system, both specially configured for operation together. The retainer bracket is permanently affixed to the vehicle structure, with the belt passing through a slot therein. The belt includes a series of selectively retractable buttons therealong, with an extended button being unable to pass through the slot of the retainer bracket and thus precluding retraction of the belt. Belt retraction is enabled by pushing the extended button downwardly to lie substantially flush with the surface of the belt. In contrast, the present invention does not require a specially adapted or modified belt, and does not attach permanently to the vehicle structure.
Finally, French Patent Publication No. 2,682,655 published on Apr. 23, 1993 to Felix Ruiz describes (according to the English Abstract) a wedge which may be driven into the slot of the upper shoulder harness guide, which is in turn permanently secured to the vehicle structure. The wedge may be formed along one side of a flat sleeve which is installed about the belt, in order to retain the wedge along the belt. However, no means is apparent for adjusting the position of the wedge sleeve along the belt, nor for removing the sleeve from the belt. One of the drawbacks of many of the devices of the prior art is their permanent installation to the belt retraction system or vehicle structure, and this lack of removability of the ""655 French Publication device provides further distinction between it and the present invention.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.
The present invention comprises different embodiments of means for adjusting the positioning of safety retaining straps or belts in motor vehicles, particularly for adjusting the slack and upper location of a shoulder harness or strap. The first embodiment comprises a clamp which is removably attachable to an occupant restraining belt (i.e., shoulder harness strap, or alternatively to the lap belt portion, if so desired) which forms a restriction to belt retraction through the conventional harness guide loop.
This device may be clamped to the shoulder harness at any position desired therealong, and serves to prevent the shoulder strap from retracting completely and thereby applying uncomfortable pressure across the shoulder and/or chest of the occupant. The device easily secured to and removed from the belt or strap as desired, generally requiring only one hand for operation. The locking means for the device comprises a laterally disposed slide which bears against a wedge within the housing of the device, with the lateral action of the locking means also providing for single handed operation if so desired, without twisting the belt or requiring additional support thereof.
The second embodiment provides additional means for positioning the shoulder harness as desired, for adjusting its position relative to the shoulder of the occupant. The position adjusting device essentially comprises an elongate clamp having two mating components hinged together at one end, with a series of mating slots therein. A shoulder harness slot and latch mechanism is provided opposite the hinge end. The device is opened and secured about the support rods or columns of an adjustable height headrest, with the shoulder strap being passed through the shoulder strap guide portion. The series of headrest support attachment slots allows the device to be placed at any one of a series of lateral positions relative to the headrest, thereby adjusting the lateral position of the shoulder harness guide and shoulder harness passing therethrough as desired. The two devices may be used in combination with one another, if so desired.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide various embodiments of positioning devices for vehicle occupant restraints, for preventing undue retraction of a belt against the body of an occupant of the vehicle to provide greater comfort for the occupant, and also for adjustably positioning the shoulder harness relative to the neck and upper body of the occupant as desired by the occupant for comfort.
It is another object of the invention to provide a belt retraction restraint comprising a clamp which is removably attachable to a belt as desired, with a laterally actuated wedge providing selective clamping pressure against a pressure plate within the device, which grips the belt passing through the device.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a shoulder harness positioning guide which is removably attachable to the support structure of an adjustable headrest in a vehicle occupant seat, for adjustably positioning the upper portion of a shoulder harness relative to the upper portion of the seat and upper body of the occupant.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a system for adjustably positioning the shoulder harness of a vehicle occupant restraint system, providing a predetermined amount of slack in the shoulder harness as desired by the occupant and further positioning the upper portion of the shoulder harness as desired by the occupant for the comfort of the occupant, with the system comprising a restraint belt clamp and a shoulder harness positioning guide in combination.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof in an apparatus for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.